Startups

Rice prices could climb should there be “surprise demand,” but gains will be capped by large stockpiles in China as well as India’s ability to keep on exporting, he said.

In China, the government has built up massive inventories of wheat and rice that could feed its entire population of 1.4 billion people for a year. It’s even urged animal feed mills to buy both the grains from state reserves to replace corn and soybean meal to curb the country’s dependence on foreign supplies.

However, food security isn’t just about staple food

The Covid-19 pandemic and containment measures in its wake proved to be a stern test for global food supply chains, accelerating the need to mitigate long-standing food security concerns. Countries across the GCC have been taking key steps towards diversifying food sources and stepping up technology initiatives to ease production, alleviate food waste and enable food supplies. Amid broader regional projects, the UAE has taken considerable strides to bolster its food ecosystem.

Earlier this year, Dubai launched the first phase of Food Tech Valley, a new city that would serve as a global destination for startups and industry experts in the food ecosystem, hosting R&D facilities, an innovation centre, smart food logistics hub and areas for vertical farming. The recently-launched initiative aims to create an integrated modern city where over 300 varieties of crops will be produced using modern farming techniques and which will bring together companies, investors and researchers to develop the latest aquaculture and hydroponics technologies.

“The Middle East is a region heavily reliant on food imports. The arid land and unforgiving weather across much of the region does not permit for large-scale agriculture. The pandemic exposed a weakness in the supply chain and over-reliance on imports. Hence, governments in the region are working hard to ensure food security for their citizens and residents. In keeping with the ecological challenges, sustainable agriculture will play a key part in feeding the citizens of the region,” says Arun Shroff, CEO of UAE’s Pikoo Foods. The startup launched the country’s first peabased milk derived by sustainable agricultural methods.

“Sustainable techniques such as hydroponic farming are being used extensively to grow fruits and vegetables in the UAE. This will continue to be the trend in the foreseeable future.”

Besides the Food Tech Valley initiative – that aims to support the country’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 – the UAE undertook several other steps to explore ways of enhancing local production. It harvested around 1,700 kilograms of rice in the emirate of Sharjah in May last year in a pilot project with South Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA), while the Abu Dhabi Investment Office aims to spend about $41m with other companies to advance technologies for food production in dry conditions, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment inked an agreement with RDA earlier this year to boost joint efforts in smart farming research.

“The pandemic has accelerated the need for local agriculture. The UAE is at the forefront of these initiatives. They are also investing in food technologies that can help cultivate rice in the desert. With constrained supply chains, and delayed shipments, a nation cannot wait for food to feed its citizens. Hence the focus is more on local agriculture now,” notes Shroff.

With promising projects underway, the UAE is set to leverage modern techniques, collaborations and initiatives to herald an innovation-based sustainable future. ANALYSIS

crops and consuming sufficient calories. For the poor, it’s about having access to adequate amounts of protein, micronutrients and vitamins. This has been made difficult because of the spikes in corn and soy, which pushed up meat prices.

“The higher maize prices will put price pressure on pork and poultry and that will make it more difficult for poor families to afford that in their diet,” Dawe said. “They’ll be ok on the rice but they won’t be so good on the meat, and that can have an impact on the nutrition of young children.”

Bloomberg

ANALYSIS